1. I would translate it as "stripe", very plainly. The recent total solar eclipse (Sonnenfinsternis) has moved along on a diagonal stripe on the very edge of Europe, like a grain harvester that harvests a stripe on a field... 2. This phrase seems to be unrelated to the first one; this is a "workaround" translation of it: "Investigations on how it came to happen have been commenced (as somebody stated)" It is in indirect speech (indirekte Rede). This here would be Perfekt with direct speech: "Es sind Untersuchungen zum Hergang eingeleitet worden" if you replace "sind" by "seien" you make it clear that you are quoting somebody. Example for direct/indirect speech: Herr Professor Brinkner sagte mir: "alle Praktikumsplätze sind schon vergeben" <-> Herr Professor Brinkner sagte mir, alle Praktikumsplätze seien schon vergeben. You would quote him indirectly when mentioning this statement of his in an email.